Chapter 2 – The Mother Tree
When Kamal's soul finally touched the leaves of the tree, the world did not explode into light or sound.
Instead, everything became quiet.
It was not an empty silence; rather, a profound stillness, heavy with meaning, ancient and patient. The moment his essence touched the bark and leaves, Kamal felt something flow into him. It wasn't forceful. Nor was it painful. Like warmth spreading slowly and naturally across cool skin, as if it had always been there, it entered him.
Wisdom permeated him.
It wasn't knowledge in the form of words or memories. It was something deeper. Understanding blossomed within his consciousness, reshaping the very way he perceived his existence. His thoughts became clearer, vaster, and calmer. His mental strength deepened, and his soul, once shattered by fear and suffering, began to mend itself.
He felt reborn.
Now there was a power within him. A vast, tranquil, and unwavering power. It wasn't violent or overwhelming. It felt ancient, like a mountain standing unmoved for countless ages. Kamal felt it resting within him; it demanded no control, only awaited trust.
The gateway that had drawn him into this world no longer seemed like an escape from death. It seemed like a path towards meaning. Pain and dreams intertwined within him; no longer clashing, but shaping each other. For the first time, Kamal understood that suffering had not ended him. It had brought him here. Without hesitation, he merged himself with the tree.
There was no resistance. No doubt. He opened himself completely, accepting every fragment of wisdom and every echo of thought that flowed from it. His resolve was unshakable; it was born of weariness, faith, and a fierce desire to live with purpose.
As he stepped into the deep green pool beneath the branches, energy surged through him.
It was not violent.
It was intimate.
Like the ocean itself embracing him.
The energy flowed into his soul, washing away the uncertainty, the fear, and the hollow pain that had haunted him since his death. It filled the cracks within him, grounding him, binding him securely.
For the first time since being buried underground, Kamal felt something he had forgotten.
A sense of belonging. The vast ocean stretched endlessly around him; shadows clung to the edges of existence, like memories no one dared to recall. Yet, at its center, the tree stood unwavering, eternal.
Now that Kamal could truly see it, the sight stole what little breath he had left.
The tree was unimaginably vast. Its emerald branches stretched boundlessly, weaving a canopy that shimmered like a living constellation. On each branch were patterns like stars and symbols; maps of empires that no longer existed, stories erased by time.
A soft green light emanated from the tree, illuminating the surrounding darkness without effort or struggle. Here, gravity seemed meaningless. The tree did not stand in the soil, yet it was firmly rooted in something invisible and immeasurable.
Here, distance was an illusion.
Time flowed differently, stretching moments into eternities.
The tree's bark bore inscriptions carved by forgotten hands; they were written in a language older than history. It seemed ancient beyond reason, yet strangely newborn, as if it had just appeared.
Kamal began to walk.
He moved like a seeker, a silent explorer floating on sacred ground. Near the roots and branches, pools of dark green liquid shimmered softly. He approached them intuitively, absorbing the essence that surrounded the tree.
Each contact enriched his soul.
The liquid was not water; it was life itself, concentrated and potent. With each absorption, Kamal felt his connection to the tree deepen, his awareness sharpen, and his being become grounded.
Life flowed endlessly from the tree.
Endless branches.
Endless essence.
Somewhere between his steps and his silence, Kamal felt something pass between them. A profound understanding beyond words.
Unconsciously, he murmured,
"Mother…"
The tree responded.
Its branches swayed gently, not by the wind, but by recognition. A rhythm flowed through Kamal's soul, like the echo of one heartbeat synchronizing with another.
Acceptance. Acknowledgment.
Then, a voice came to him, not through sound, but through being.
"Ah… my child."
"You have come home."
Kamal looked upwards. The green light filtered through the leaves, spreading patterns across his entire being. He did not speak aloud. Words seemed unnecessary, weak, and insufficient.
He felt the warmth of the tree. Its presence offered the comfort of a mother's embrace; it was safe, patient, and boundless.
"I feel your strength," Kamal thought.
"And your wisdom. I feel as if an entire lifetime has been condensed into a single moment."
The mother tree enveloped his soul in a gentle light, and Kamal felt a profound sense of belonging.
He felt alive.
"Look around you, my son," the mother tree whispered.
"See life as it is, woven of light and shadow. Learn from it."
"Learn from them, for they will learn from you."
Kamal closed his eyes.
He felt the silent rhythm that connected all living things, the pulse of existence permeating everything. The darkness that had once threatened him no longer seemed hostile. He felt it vast, patient, and waiting.
Like a canvas.
"I will cherish this gift," Kamal vowed inwardly.
"This is my beginning. I will protect the life entrusted to me. I will honor its wisdom." A deep hum echoed in the abyss.
"And I shall endure," the Mother Tree replied.
"Our bond transcends time and space. You are my son. Through you, my legacy will persist."
The shadows surrounding the tree seemed to recede, not fleeing, but settling—accepting the balance that now prevailed.
"Do not fear the darkness," the Mother Tree continued.
"It is within the darkness that light reveals its true form."
Kamal gazed into the boundless void.
"This place is beautiful," he thought. "But the darkness still surrounds us. Is it dangerous?"
"No," the Mother Tree replied.
"Light and darkness are brothers in the dance of existence. One cannot exist without the other. Darkness is not an enemy, it is a contrast."
Kamal paused for a moment, then asked softly, "This life you share… how does it continue?"
"Life is not given," the Mother Tree replied.
"It is shared. I extend my branches, and the cycle continues. Now you are a part of that cycle. You carry the spark that can ignite new understanding."
Kamal took a deep breath. The very air felt alive.
"I am ready," he said.
"Ready to walk this path. Ready to find my place."
As he looked around once more, the darkness no longer seemed threatening. It felt open, waiting to be understood.
With the Mother Tree beside him, Kamal knew one truth with certainty.
His death was not the end.
It was the beginning.